Adults may be bigger "texting" threat than kids, study says

Posted at 12:35 PM on June 18, 2010 by Bob Collins (0 Comments)

A study today of texting while driving is presenting more evidence that it's not a generational thing anymore.

A study today of texting while driving is presenting more evidence that it's not a generational thing anymore.

According the Pew Research poll, "27% of all American adults say they have sent or read text messages while driving. That compares with 26% of all American teens ages 16-17 who reported texting at the wheel in 2009."

What's more, 61 percent of adults surveyed admit to talking on cellphones while driving, a number that's much higher than the kids. Kids don't talk, of course. They text.

But it's not just distracted driving; it's distracted everything. One in six of those surveyed say they've physically bumped into something because they were so consumed with their "communicators."

Texting while driving in Minnesota is a petty misdemeanor, and you can't be stopped by police for doing it; you have to be stopped for some other infraction first.

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories